Chapter 582: Chapter 581: Shuddering Without Cold

"My treasure, my treasure!"

Suddenly, a terrifyingly large mouth emerged from the fog. Ye Fan immediately went on guard. Holding his Yuanhong Sword, he asked warily, "Who are you?"

In an instant, the mouth lunged at him.

"Returning to the Sect Sword!" Ye Fan shouted, immediately unleashing the attack. The blade cleaved the massive mouth in two, but the halves fused back together almost instantly.

This is bad... Just as I feared, the malevolent being has appeared.

He launched another swift attack but hesitated in the next moment. The entire storeroom was being enveloped in Black Fog, forcing Ye Fan to stand his ground and remain vigilant. Then, the demonic fog pressed down with an oppressive force.

"ARGH!"

Ye Fan screamed. By the time he could see again, he was standing in a great hall. Above him loomed a figure shrouded in demonic fog. He couldn’t make out any details, as the entire figure was a blur. The dark, swirling mist was identical to the one he had seen in that temple. He never would have guessed it was being controlled by this person.

He drew the Yuanhong Sword, ready to defend himself.

"It has been a long time," the figure said harshly. "A very long time since anyone came here. I have waited for countless eons. I can’t even remember how long it’s been."

Ye Fan pressed, "Who are you?"

"Me? Hahaha, I am the nemesis of your Divine Race!" he cackled.

The demonic fog surged, and Ye Fan felt innumerable streams of Evil Qi lashing at his body. If the Yuanhong Sword hadn’t acted in time to devour the Evil Qi, he would have been consumed by it.

"Oh? You can withstand my Evil Qi? You’re an interesting little ant!" 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The next moment, the figure made his move. The Yuanhong Sword was knocked from Ye Fan’s grasp, flying across the hall and embedding itself in the far wall. Ye Fan tried to run for it but was immediately ensnared by the demonic fog.

The figure spoke to him tauntingly, "You greedy Martial Artist, daring to covet these treasures. Today, you are destined for a sorrowful end!"

He stirred the demonic fog, which wrapped tightly around Ye Fan. He could feel it devouring and tearing at his very being, and the pain sent a shiver of pure terror down his spine.

"ARGH!"

Ye Fan cried out in agony. If not for the protection of his Ancestor Realm Bloodline, he would have been devoured in an instant. He didn’t know what race this being belonged to, but he knew it was many times more terrifying than the Divine Race. He felt as if his very soul was about to shatter.

"My physical body was shattered long ago. Boy, your body is now mine, hahaha!" the creature laughed maniacally. Having taken a liking to Ye Fan’s body, he paused his assault.

Pale as a ghost, Ye Fan asked, "What race are you?"

"I am the nightmare of your Divine Race! It’s a pity my body was destroyed in that battle ages ago. Otherwise, your Divine Race would never have had the chance to run rampant!

"But my companions, my masters, have already found traces of this world. They will arrive soon.

"When that time comes, it will be the apocalypse for your world! An inescapable doom. And then, I will no longer have to hide in this darkness, wallowing in self-pity!

"Everything in this world belongs to us. Hahaha!"

He laughed wildly, plunging Ye Fan into utter despair.

Wait! Ye Fan’s heart pounded. He thought he knew what this thing was. The creature’s aura was saturated with a potent Curse Power. The Divine Dragon was killed by this very same Curse Power!

His scalp tingled as the memory flooded back. The Divine Dragon’s head had been hollowed out. It was the first and mightiest of the Divine Beasts. Aside from those who had reached the Ancestor Realm, no one could have harmed it. Yet the Divine Dragon had fallen. It must have been connected to this powerful, evil clan—a clan even stronger than the Divine Race. At this thought, Ye Fan drew a sharp, cold breath.

Who in this world could possibly stand against such a formidable race? The Divine Race couldn’t. As for the Human Clan’s secular world, they wouldn’t stand a chance. That day he had inadvertently touched that taboo object, he had nearly been cursed to death himself. Now, the nightmare had returned, filling Ye Fan with absolute despair.

This monster wasn’t a product of the Immortal Mine, nor was it some Guardian born from it. This creature must have been hiding inside the Immortal Mine all along. The Outer Domain Main God’s frenzied mining must have disturbed it. The monster was already in a weakened state, so after its battle with the Outer Domain Main God, although the Main God was killed, the monster’s own body was also destroyed. The creature then concealed itself in the Outer Domain, and that terrifying temple must have been one of its avatars. The avatar was nourishing its master by consuming the souls and vital essence of Martial Artists. I just happened to blunder in here and provoke it.

This realization plunged Ye Fan into despair.

The entity said to him, "Boy, the game ends here. Have a taste of my terrifying Demon Curse Technique!"

"Demon Curse Technique!" he bellowed.

Instantly, Ye Fan’s vision went black, and he plunged into an endless abyss. Besieged by the Curse Technique, he could feel it devouring his soul and his strength. Even his Ancestor Realm Bloodline was useless, as it offered no protection for his soul. He felt his soul begin to fracture. In this moment of utter hopelessness, Ye Fan was driven to madness.

"Madness is futile. It will only hasten your demise!" the creature said mockingly.

He then intensified the assault. Even without a body, relying on just a fragment of his soul, he could overwhelm Ye Fan, who was truly insignificant before him. Back then, even while heavily injured, he had managed to slay the strongest expert of the Divine Domain, the Outer Domain Main God. Now, his Power of Soul alone was more than enough to crush Ye Fan.

I’m done for this time, Ye Fan knew. His heart filled with defiant indignation. Finally, this powerful feeling of defiance connected him to a mighty treasure.

It was a Crystal Stone he had obtained in the Human Clan’s secular world. Years ago, this same Crystal Stone had provoked a Divine Race pet into battle. That’s right—the Crystal Stone was a Divine Talisman.

The Divine Talisman had merged into his body at some unknown time, so subtly that not even Ye Fan had noticed. At this moment, it began to shine brilliantly. Its light was so powerful that not even the demonic fog could block it. The radiance finally burst forth, dissipating the demonic fog in an instant.

"What is this?!" the figure cried out in shock. "This is bad! It’s the sacred artifact of that clan!"

He screamed, never having expected Ye Fan to possess such a thing. It was completely beyond his calculations.

The light from the Crystal Stone erupted from within Ye Fan’s body, illuminating the entire hall. All the surrounding demonic fog was instantly obliterated by its radiance.

At that moment, Ye Fan felt as if a great weight had been lifted from him.